Toy semaphore signal tower



A. R. FERGUSSON ToY SEMAPHORE' SIGNAL TOWER Oct. 14 1.924.

Filed Nov. '7, 1922 vll:

Patented Qct. 14, 1924.

UNITED STATES ALAN R. FERGUSSON, OF BUFFALO, NEXV YORK..

TOY SEMAPHORE SIGNAL TOWER.

Application filed November 7, 1922. Serial No. 599,604.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ALAN It. FEReUssoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful. Improvements in Toy Semaphore Signal Towers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to toy railway accessories especially adapted to be used in connection with toy railways, and particularly to an improved toy railway warning or signaling device, an object of the invention being to provide an improved toy signal device of this class which will be relatively cheap and easy to manufacture, and strong and durable in use.

A further object of thisA 'invention is to provide a toy signal device such as a toy semaphore signal tower having wire Vformed supporting means, the improved construction enabling the device to be made at a minimum of expense and with a reduction of the number of steps in the manufacture, and at the same time providing a device of increased strength and durability.

A further object of this invention is to provide a toy semaphore signal tower wherein the semaphorey arm or armsY are adapted to bev maintained in predetermined position in an improved manner. i

Other objects of this invention will appear' in the following description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, wherein like reference characters indicate corresponding parts in the several views, and wherein Fig. 1 is a front elevation illustrating an embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation thereof partly broken away; Fig. 3 is a cross section taken substantially on line 3 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4

is a sectional plan view taken substantially on line 4--4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a rear elevation illustrating a modified form and Fig. 6 4is a detailed elevation partly broken away illustrating a form of construction.

In its preferred form I have illustrated this improved toy railway warning or signalling device in the form of a toy semaphore signal tower which comprises in general a supportingstand including an upright supporting member and movable semaphore arms connected to the upright member and adapted to be 'shifted into various positions with relation thereto. The supporting stand is preferably formed from a single length of metal, and in the present instances comprises a wire of suitable length which is bent to form a supporting base and an upright member extending therefrom, the semaphore arms being carried bythe upright member.

In the drawings it will be seen that the supporting stan d is formed from a wire which is bent or coiled to provide a supporting base 9, the wire being bent inwardly at 10 preferably in the plane of the coil forming the base and to a point substantially midway thereof, and then is bent upwardly to form an upright supporting member 11, of suitable height. The supporting stand may be provided with any suitable number of signal or semaphore arms, in the present instance two being shown by way of example. In the present instance the semaphore arms 12 are carried by the supporting upright 11 through the medium of clamps or brackets 13, each clamp orbracket 13 being bent to securely embrace the wire 11 and is held in fixed position with relation thereto. The signal arms 12 are pivoted at 2O to the laterally projecting portion of the clamps or brackets 13, and it will be noted that these pivotal connections are located in spaced relation from the wire upright 11. Each semaphore arm 12 is preferably stamped out of sheet material and is provided at the inner end with an elbow or offset portion 14;, terminating in an enlarged end'15 constructed in the present instance for the purpose of providing self-locking means for the semaphore arm and also imitation signal lights. The enlarged end 15 is therefore provided with a pair of spaced circular depressions or indentations 16. These depressions or indentations on the front side of the signal tower, see Fig. 1, may be lithographed in different colors to imitate signal lights. However, as illustrated in Fig. 3, instead of painting or lithographing the colored lights, colored disks 17 of paper or other suitable material may be pasted in the circular depressions 16. y

The depressions v16 at the rear side of the signal tower, see Fig. 2, form bulges or projections 18 having a groove 19 lyingl therebetween. It will be seen therefore, that the projecting portions 18 form self-locking means for maintaining the arms 12 in horizontal position. Thus, when the semaphore arm is swung on its pivot 20, from its lowered positiongtoa horizont-al position, one of the projections 18 will fric-tionally engage the wire upright 11, and the resiliency thereo'l` and of the arm will permit the-` projection 18 to pass over the wire upright 11 and permit the latter to become lodged*A in the groove 19. Therefore, in the extended position of the semaphore arm the locking `projections 18 will grip the upright 11 therebetween and in swinging the arm upwardly or downwardly from a horizontal position the projections 18will frictionally and resiliently resist Vsuch swinging movement. If`urthermore, the semaphore arm `may be n'iaintained in various angular Lpositions other than horizontal or vertical, ydue to the fact that either-'locking projections 18 will grip the wire upright 11 at various points on its surface and'hold thearni in such adjusted position. Y

. The wire upright 11 of Figs. 1 and 2 be provided, as shown in Fig.v G, with integral projections'at opposite. sides thereof so as to resemble ladder steps. In such' case,

-Alugs 21 of suitable length maybe formed from the metal of the wire member 11 and as illust-rated the lugs may be arranged alternately-atopposite sides so as to give the appearancev of ladder steps'. In the modiliedconstruction shown in Fig. the supportingl stand comprising'tlie base 9 and upright lmember 11v may be constructed 'from wire as hereinber'ore'described'. In this case however, the semaphore arnl 22 is p'ivoted at 28 tothe solid wire upright and the offset or elbow portion 24E of the arm is provided with lspaced depressions 25 in which'however the metal is bent away fromy the support l1. In this instance, the de pressions are suit-'ably colored to imitate signal lights without at the same t-ime forming loclringA means. The sliittable locking means yin this instance may comprise a wire 26Vconnected at ZZ to the semaphore arm and having an open loop 28 at its opposite end which is adapted to embrace the wire base asV shownfin Fig, for maintaining the 'arm inextended position. In'order to lower' the semaphore arm it is merely necessary in this case to release the loop `28 from thel 'wire base." Thus, it will bev seen that I have provided a toy signal deviceliavin-g a supportingstan'd' of improved construction, and also having signal semaphoreI ar'ms carriejd bythe stand and providedwith shiftable locking means for maintainingthe arni or arms in vario-us positions, in.V the preferred 'form eachy swinging semaphore 'arm being provided with `self-locking means. It will ybe further noted that the self-locking means '-inay comprise. depressions adapted to form imitation signal lights at one side and gripping means at the opposite side, the

depressionsthereby performiiig a double function.

It will be understood tliatby 'describingcoil having` 'one end extending' inwardly to substantially the center of said coil andi/ip-k wardly to provide a single vertical wii upright, and a swinging semaphore signal member secured to said uprigl'it.` y

8. `In a toy railway signal 'device the' conibination ot a base comprising'a singlev wire coil having one end.'eirte-ndin0"'inwardlyl to substantially the lcenter of said coil'and np# waidly to provide a' single vertical wire upright, a swinging semaphore signal member ysecured to said upright and means for releasably locking said 'member' in predetermined p'ositionl'. A toy railway Aaccessory comprising a wire formed supporting base having an integral vertical wire member,A and `a railway warning or signalling kdevice permanently fixed to said wire member.

5. A toy semaphore signal tower comprising a base, an upright member'su'ppbrted thereby, a movable varm carried by saidmembei', and releasable locking means 'carried by the arm and coacting with said member fory maintaining the arm in" predetermined position. I v

6. A toy semaphore signal tower comprising a base, vanfuprightimembersupported coacting with -s'aid'f memberl for ,releasably arm` in predetermined maintaining'- the position.

7.' In a toy railway accessory the combina-'-v tion ofa base comprisinga wirey coil h'aving one end extend-ing radially inwardly ot the coil and upwardly tor formasingle vertical wire post, vand a' signal v"i`nember secured to said wire post.

8. In a toy railway accessory the combination of a base, an upright post extending '.thereby', a movable arm carried by saidzmemby said stand, said arm having; 'spaced-pros jections for engaging thestandand forming means for releasably locking the arm in predetermined position.

10. A toy signal device comprising a sup porting stand and a swinging arm carried by said stand, said arm having curved depressions constructed to form locking projections at one side and signal. means at the opposite side.

11. A signal device of the class described comprising a supporting stand including a wire formed upright member, clamping means connected to said member, and a swinging arm pivoted to said clamping means.

12. In a signal device of the class described the combination of a supporting stand comprising a length of wire bent to form a coiled base and an upright post, a movable arm carried thereby, and shittable locking means for maintaining the arm in predetermined position.

13. In a signal device of the class described, the combination of a normally stationary upright post, and a movable signal arm carried thereby and having selflocking means operative upon movement of the arm into predetermined position.

14. In a toy railway accessory the combination of a base comprising a wire coil having one end extending radially inwardly of the coil and upwardly to form a single vertical wire post, a movable signal member connected to said post and gripping means adapted upon shifting said member to releasabl lock the member in position.

15. 13h a toy railway accessory, the combination of a supporting base comprising single convolution ot wire. free at one end y and having its opposite end extended to form a radially disposed member terminating centrally of the coil in a single upright wire supporting member, and signal means attached thereto.

16. In a toy railway accessory, the combination of a wire coiled base having one end extended to form a radially disposed portion terminating in a single wire upright post. and signal means attached thereto.

17. A toy railway accessory including a wire supporting means comprising a wire formed base terminating at one end in a radially disposed wire member terminating in a single upright wire, and a warning or signal means attached to said upright wire 18. In a toy railway accessory, a supporting means formed entirely of wire, an adjustable signalling .means attached thereto, and means for locking it in position.

19. In a toy railway accessory, a supporting means formed entirely of wire. and a plurality of adjustable signalling means attached thereto and superimposed one above another.

20. A toy railway accessory including a supporting means formed entirely of wire and having projections forming ladder steps.y and a warning or signal means attached to said wire supporting means.

Signed at Buffalo, New York, this 2nd day of November, 1922.

ALAN R. FERGUSSON. 

